Whoever said that friends are
destined to meet must be absolutely right.Are you a Piscean dearest friend ?...Oh ! if not ! Are
you an ex Kolkatan ?Are you from the land of the Kobi guru ? Do you break into
a song when you hear a twitter ?Are you obsessed with green cover.? Do the
glaciers melt your heart.? Are you still a child,plain happy and content. ? Is
your laughter interspersed with tears ? Do you move with the flow in tune with
nature?You must be yourself….If the answer is YES to atleast any one of the
above you are indeed my friend.
Seated very close to a window,whenever
the going gets a little hard,I simply gaze outside .With a heavy heart,I have now come to terms
with the realization that some day, the open skies will be occupied too.Yet !Its
me just me ,near a window that overlooks
the high rise Hyatt Regency on Mount Road Chennai,Its me, only me, who connects
with the clouds above and the pitter patter of the rains while others unmindful
of the presence of nature in all its beauty are buried in files or glued to
monitors.
As I communicate with my peers
and colleagues and also work,I can also see some green cover,huge mango, neem
and banyan trees and I can hear little birds chirping.Thank heavens for these
small mercies in my jungle.
Not much progress," grumbled a tired Nayaki.She was just back from work wondering where to begin.The house was in shambles after yesterday's marathon loft clearance.She picked up courage and said to herself... "Go ! girl Go !..Start from where you had left yesterday."
With stars and clouds in front of my eyes,Oh ! how I wish I could go to sleep.....
Nayaki had made up her mind to have Dhal and roti for dinner.As she kneaded the dough memories of the past,some that she was a witness to and some hearsay came flashing in front of her eyes and hey presto,she was dreaming yet again with her eyes wide open..
Amma...Amma...Ammmaaaaa...Mayawati shouted at the top of her voice.I have finished my work for the day.I want to tell you that I will not be coming for work till Sunday.With a jolt,Nayaki woke up from her trance and blurted...What ? What did I hear ? That you will be on leave till Sunday ? That's impossible ! Nayaki told her in a fit of rage....
Mayawati is a trusted maid and Nayaki is dependant on her.Picking up courage and realising that she was human too,Nayaki in a tone of authority and disdain,approved her absence..
Well ! Nayaki is a strong woman and though she relies on a help,if necessary she can raise to any occassion..
Having said that,I will continue to dream...
"Please the mother Goddess for nine days.Stay calm,Sing hymns in her praise and chant her divine name a thousand times," Ma would say.I listened to her in rapt attention as she rendered lovely musical compositions all in praise of the Divine Mother.
As she stepped on Bhagirathi land,Subbu said "The Durga puja is approaching.This is the best time to be here in this City of Joy and I am sure you are going to enjoy every moment of your stay in this city."
Vijaya was not too sure though.She had her apprehensions.Yet ! slowly but surely she was getting involved in the Bengal culture.She was on a vacation,a tourist coz !Subbu would plan a daily itenary and take her in and around the city.
It was the month of October 1963.Puja frenzy had begun.The festivities were yet to begin but the mood palpable.
Localities were gearing up for the celebrations and Viji was wonderstruck.It was during the month that Subbu suddenly planned a trip to Kumartuli .
Kumartuli is a potters village in northern Kolkata. By virtue of their artistic creations these potters have moved from obscurity to national and international prominence. This Kolkata neighbourhood,supplies clay idols of Hindu gods and goddesses to pujas in Kolkata , its neighbourhoods and now all over the world.
Certain customs are observed religiously ,while sculpting the clay idol of Durga. On the auspicious day of the Rath Yatra festival, clay is collected from the banks of the holy Ganga. The entire process of idol-making, from the collection of clay to the final stages of decoration and ornamentation, is considered sacred.
Another important event is Chokkhu Dhaan, that literally means ,the donation of the eyes, which occurs on a special auspicious day when the artists paint the eyes on the face of the idol.
It seemed like a dream come true.The semi completed clay idols fascinated Vijaya.The deft nimble fingers that worked on the deities amazed her.She was bewildered at the sheer talent of a group of people......The clay idols were coming to life and it seemed like a trip to the abode of the Gods.
"Learn a lesson from the clay ," Ma would say."Life is not a bed of roses but you have the power and the strength to mould it as you wish.Lead a pious life and be flexible.Try to be as eco friendly as possible.Our Earth is rich in resources.Use the resources carefully.The Earth is sacred ,and worship Bhoomi Ma." she would go on....
She would repeatedly say"So !Give the Golu an eco touch.Decorate the steps with mud dolls and wooden dolls.Remember to connect with the earth .We rise from dust to go back to dust.............
Yet ! as I spotted the papier mache Chettiar Mama Mami bommai in my Golu,paper being eco friendly too,an inner voice seemed to question the same earthy sentiment and the story teller in me was searching for answers as a logical explanation for a break from convention,and also the reason for the transition from the Simple Steps to the Elevated MODERN DAY THEMATIC GOLUS ......Can somebody NOW give me an idea puhleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze ?
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